Make My Heart Go Boom
by BrodieAnne
Summary: This is a series of mostly one shots inspired by Criminal Minds. They center around Eleanor Corbin, love interest of Dr. Spencer Reid and Niece to Jason Gideon. Some of these pieces will be flash/micro fiction, others will be longer. The rating is a safeguard in case I get carried away. These are not in chronological order.
1. Chapter 1: Sometime in 2008

"Spencer! You're home. I thought you weren't going to be home for another few days."

"We caught a break in the case. The unsub made a mistake." The small brunette smiles up at her live in beau; she reaches a hand out to hold his arm.

"Well I'm glad you're home early. I missed you." She steadies herself with a hand on each of his forearms and shifts to her tip toes; he leans down a bit to meet his lips to hers.

"I missed you too Ella." She keeps her hand on his arm even after she lowers herself to the flat of her feet. He's been gone nearly a week and she always wants to feel him when he's home.

"Did you eat? We could get something," she stops talking and just smiles up at him, he pulls her against him and he kisses the top of her head.

Dr. Spencer Reid wasn't exactly known for being cuddly, but he knew that she worried about him when he was gone and that the physical contact helped reassure that he was home and safe, so he cuddled with her. It helped that he was in love with her, and that he had been since he'd met her 7 years ago.

"What were you going to do tonight?" He asks with her still against the front of his button up, he can feel her hands balling in the fabric, and see in the quick blink of her eye that his work is starting to affect her, the worrying has started to give her wrinkles around her eyes. Her face has flushed a bit pink.

"I was going to nuke some trader Joes macaroni and cheese and watch Harry Potter." She was embarrassed about her obsession with Harry Potter, Spencer had tried to explain why she was so fixated on the series. He'd spoken about her parents' divorce and her lack of close friends, and eventually, near tears she had asked in a whisper 'why can't I just like it?'

"Which one?" he'd never brought up her fascination with the children's series since he'd almost made her cry. She buries her head into his shirt again.

"All of them." Her voice is muffled from where her lips are pressed against the fabric.

"Want to order Chinese and watch them?" The question shocked her, while he hasn't brought up her obsession, and he even supported it to some extent, he never watched them with her. Her face lights up.

"Yeah, do you have 17 hours and 14 minutes?"

"I've got however long you need me Ella."


	2. Chapter 2: Sometime in 2008

Sometime during the third movie Derek and Penny stopped by to see if they wanted to go out. As soon as Penny heard about the marathon she'd barged into the house, sent Derek to get candy and made herself cozy on the futon. They pressed play before Derek came back with snacks, but he'd already missed half the movie so he didn't mind.

Spencer and Ella took over the recliner; she was sprawled all over him like a cat. Derek and Penny were lounging on the far end of the futon, him against the arm rest, arm around his best friend, and her resting comfortably against him. The entire unit was close, but Morgan and Garcia went way back, and you could tell by how they were around each other.

Before the fourth movie there was another knock on the door. Derek announced that he'd called the rest of the team, but Hotch and Rossi were busy. JJ walks in carrying grocery bags of more snacks and popcorn, and Emily walks in with a case of beer and a few bottles of wine. The team did things as a whole, so the younger member of the team coming over for a Harry Potter marathon wasn't to strange. Granted they probably would have picked a different series to marathon.

JJ leans over the arm chair to give a hug to Ella, and Emily waves. Spencer's unit had become his friends, his family, and they'd accepted her as one of their own since they'd met. Ella and Spencer had been together since he was 19, she'd been 16, he moved to go to the police academy, and it had been really hard on her, but she wanted him, she loved him, so they worked hard to stay together. She would visit as much as high school and her parents would allow, and he would come out to Vegas whenever he could to see her. Things got much better for them though when life had gotten the fuck out of the way and she'd been able to move out to Virginia.


	3. Chapter 3: Sometime in 2004

Sometime in 2004

She'd joined the army after high school; Spencer had been tutoring her, trying to help her get a scholarship so she could go to college. When that didn't work out she joined the army. She was sent to Afghanistan, and she'd learned how to take care of herself. She spent every day in a war zone worried about Spencer, because he would be out on a case, and he wasn't allowed to carry a gun because he hasn't passed his qualifications. This was before the team became family, when they were no closer than a children's sports team. No one had his back then, except Gideon and Hotch.

She spent her free time missing and worrying. He spent his free time writing her letters, reading books, sending her facts about Afghanistan, and the locals. She lived for leave. When she got to fly home, she would sprint to him in the airport, her duffel looking huge on her tiny form, and throw herself into his arms. They would almost topple over. He would usually be wearing clothes that were the wrong size, and not matching. She didn't care though, what she cared about, was that she was the only person he would open his arms for, when everyone was looking, and catch at the airport. That he didn't mind when she couldn't stop touching him during leave, even though he hated to be touched. That he held her, when she woke up terrified, after having another nightmare about watching one of her friends dying, and that he'd tell her statistics about silly things to calm her down.

She would talk to him as much as possible, usually never more than once a week. They wrote to each other every day. She could tell from talking to him, when the team was starting to become closer. They'd stopped making jokes at his expense, had started talking to him about things other than the case. Garcia had finally asked him about his private life, and the first thing he'd said was that he'd been with Ella since he was 19, and she was the best thing that had ever happened to him, and how proud he was of her.

Everyone on the team, excluding Gideon had thought he was dateless and was too odd to have a girlfriend. Morgan had tried to get him to go out and meet women, and didn't understand why Reid refused until Garcia told him. She didn't meet the team until she was out of the army.


	4. Chapter 4: Sometime in 2007

Sometime in 2007

His hair was at that awkward length again, the length that he wakes up with the best morning hair. It made her smile a slow smile as she tried to fix it. She was used to the phases of his hair growing out, he didn't like when people touched him, which made him hate getting haircuts. Ella refused to do it anymore, she'd tried cutting it once and it had turned out terrible.

He was sitting at a chair in the kitchen drinking coffee; she was sitting on his lap, trying to tame his hair. He'd already showered, but he refused to use product so his hair would be sticking out strange once it was dry. She knew why Gideon worked hard so that people would see him as a kid, and she tried to help by keeping him looking professional. Her breath hitches when his government issued cell phone rings.

"Is your go bag packed?" He would occasionally get called in for cases and have almost no notice before he left; this happened to the whole team. They all had 'go bags.' They were filled with everything that they could need for a week-long trip. She would empty it once a month, and wash everything that was packed, so they wouldn't start to smell stale and have him repack it. The team having to leave for a case usually coincided with him getting called in early, so, she stayed where she was a bit longer, only now instead of taming his hair, she was holding him, she was always afraid that this would be the last time. She never told him that, but she hated when he left.

She walked with him to the train, and they stopped and got coffee, he kissed her before walking through the turn styles. She waved, and walked back to their apartment. She spent the next four days waiting for calls and doing homework.


	5. Chapter 5: 2005, During Plain Sight

October 2005, Plain Sight

"Can you believe he said that? He doesn't even know me, none of them know me." He'd called her early in the morning, it was night where he was, he was furious; "since when is that even an appropriate thing to say to a coworker?"

"Baby, calm down," she didn't call him 'baby' often, but when she did it caught his attention.

"I know, it's not rational to be this angry. But how could he say that? It's my birthday, why would you insult someone on their birthday."

"Spencer, its Morgan trying to show you he cares."

"What are you talking about? How is making fun of me showing me that he cares?" His voice is full of confusion, and it makes her smile, he's so smart but the most basic things can leave him baffled.

"Spence, you never had an older sibling, so let me explain it to you. They're usually jerks, they pick on you and they beat you up, but if anyone else does it, they fuck them up. It's weird, but I think Morgan is starting to feel like you're part of his family. This is good. He won't let anyone hurt you."

"Yeah well he keeps calling me the virgin doctor." Ella lets out a loud laugh across the phone, and Reid can't help but return it.

"Well that's narrow minded and inaccurate."

"He's going to lose his shit when he meets you." Spencer swearing happened more then he liked to admit but, Spencer showing off was nearly unheard of. "12 days right Ella?"

"12 days. Are you going to be ready for me?"

"Are you going to tackle me in the airport again?"

"I just might."

"Good. I'll see you soon. I love you."

"Love you too, happy Birthday Spencer."


	6. Chapter 6: November, 2005: LDSK

November 2005, L.D.S.K.

He opened the door and she caught a glance at his face and was across the room fast then she thought possible.

"What the fuck happened, Spencer?"

"An unsub and Hotch."

"Hotch?" Her voice cracks as she said the older man's name, she knew things were bad for Spencer sometimes, but from everything she'd heard Hotch sounded like a good guy. He'd sounded like someone who had Reid's back. "Hotch did this?" Her hands were ghosting over the bruises on his face.

"No, the Unsub hit me on the face with an M4. Hotch just kicked me a little." Her eyes were filling with tears. Reid, realizing she doesn't understand, takes her far into his hands. "Not like that."

"Well, then tell me how he kicked you."

"He kicked me so I could get his gun out of his ankle holster and keep the Unsub from killing us and all of the hostages." Despite his answer, she feels relieved. She leans her head against his chest, careful not to push too much against him.

"Oh god, I didn't want another person on that fucking team giving you a hard time." His hands sneak around her, squeezing her closer.

"Hey, don't worry about me Ella, they've got my back whether they like me or not."

"I know, I just want them to realize how amazing you are. I'm sure that when they get to know you better they'll get to love you at least half as much as I do."


	7. Chapter 7: Late November, 2005: Derailed

Late November 2005 - Derailed

"Hotchner let him do what?" Ella had come to pick Spencer up from work so they could have Dinner, she'd met the team right before they left for this case, and Elle apparently felt the need to talk to her. She was filling Ella in on the case. She'd just told her how they let Spencer go in to the hostage situation and use magic tricks to convince a man they had removed a device from his arm. She turns to Hotchner who is talking to Spencer and Gideon, her eyes are wild; someone could even describe them as crazed.

She had seen some of her friends get blown up with a roadside bomb, and stayed calm and collected until they had reached safety and she was off duty. But you mention the possibility of Spencer getting hurt and she goes downright batty. Not a good thing when his job is constantly putting him in danger. She walks toward them, and Spencer gently grabs her arm, stopping her from hitting his boss.

"Ella, don't." He says it quietly so the others don't quite hear him.

"Nope. I'm gonna." She pops the "P" like a bratty child; Spencer lets out an exasperated sigh and throws his hands up. If Hotchner's poker face wasn't so good, you'd be able to tell that he was shocked. Gideon looks giddy. "You let my boyfriend, go into a hostage situation with a man that was suffering from a psychotic break, with two guns, to use magic tricks to convince him a chip had been removed."

"Ella, it's fine, I didn't get hurt, I even saved Elle's life!" He was trying to get her out of her foul mood by amusing her. It was not working.

"Reid, why don't you tell her that you insisted? That Morgan told you to teach him how to do it and you replied with 'I've been practicing this my entire life, I'm going in' that-" Ella cuts him off.

"Spencer William Reid" the scold would have made any angry mother proud. "You insisted on going into a hostage situation? How many times do you tell me to be careful at work, and how you wish I'd find a new job, because mine is too dangerous, and you voluntarily go into a hostage situation; hypocrite!" The last word was shrill, and the men all wince.

"Ella, you disarm homemade bombs. It's incredibly dangerous."

"Not anymore I don't." He looks confused.

"What?"

"This isn't leave, I'm out." And that's how Spencer found out Ella was out of the army.


	8. Chapter 8: Sometime in 2006

2006 - No Episode

"You answered the door in my cardigan." He was annoyed, but trying to hide it.

"What's wrong with me wearing your cardigan Spencer?" Her voice was innocent, she knew he was angry and was trying to calm him down.

"You were only wearing the cardigan." He spoke through clenched teeth; Ella was beginning to think that his anger stemmed from jealousy.

"It was big enough to cover all the important parts." She uses a hand to fluff her hair, a clear sign of frustration.

"You might as well have answered it in lingerie Eleanor!"

"Whoa! No need for name calling." She shrugs, "I was sleeping-"

"You were sleeping until 1pm?" She reaches a hand out, sets it against his chest and runs her nails down her chest. She shoots him a coy look, and pouts her lips before replying.

"We were up late Spencer; I'm shocked you're not exhausted. You were working hard." Her diversion probably wouldn't work, but it did warrant a smirk. He grabs her hand and pulls her against him, giving her a look that clearly states he's not buying it.

"Okay," Now she's really exasperated. "I was sleeping and I heard the knocking, it was the closest thing big enough to cover me. I thought you were on a case and you could have been hurt. I was in a hurry to answer the door babe." This time it wasn't an act to get out of trouble, she'd been stalling so she didn't have to tell him the reason of her haste.

"Well Morgan definitely won't make jokes about my ability to get laid now." He walks up to her and wraps his arms around her; he kisses the top of her head.

"Did they really think we'd been together 5 years and not have sex? We live together Spencer."

"They call me boy genius and kid. They don't see me as an adult, as much as they try and get everyone else to, and they still think of me as a kid."

"Its okay baby, I know you're a man." He laughed at that.

"You just called me baby and a man in the same sentence."

"Oops. Bed time?" He doesn't reply, he just picks her up and puts her over his shoulder heading to the bedroom. She shrieks and giggles, before smacking his ass. "Onwards, towards glory!"

"You are so weird."


End file.
